That said, some of the Eastern Shore’s best bites come without claws. Think: a nationally ranked ice cream stand or a farm-to-table scene to rival any major city…minus marathon waits and price hikes, plus bay views and small-town charm.

Sound like your idea of a good time? Savor the last bites of summer at this tasty East Coast getaway spot. Calm down, Virginia. You still win at ham.

The fried green tomato BLT at Mason's.

Mason’sGrab a porch seat at this converted Victorian in Easton’s historic district, where the old-school vibe is as memorable as the New American menu. Start with the fat, fragrant mussels, whose spicy white-wine broth makes an A+ dunking sauce for spears of golden-brown crostini.

Salads are crisp and hearty, a deep-dish quiche rotates daily, and yes, this is a fine place to satisfy that crab cake craving. The sandwich roster features updated classics like a fried green tomato BLT and a po’ boy stacked five inches high with local oysters. Finish with a slice of Smith Island Cake, a nine-layer coconut confection and Maryland’s official state dessert.

Brasserie BrightwellIn the style of French-meets-anything-goes, this bistro nails the classics like escargot (do it!) and steak frites (uh, obviously do it). Don’t overlook the vegetable dishes—Brussels sprouts are a hipster menu mainstay, but until you’ve had them deep-fried in anchovy-caper butter, you simply aren’t living your best life.

Those with light appetites will delight in mussels prepared three different ways; a salad of hothouse cucumbers, grape tomato confit, crispy chickpeas, and ample feta; and eggplant-tahini purée. Live music and indoor-outdoor bar areas make this an excellent pick for Friday or Saturday night.

Out of the FireNothing ruins an otherwise tasty meal like a hovering waitstaff desperate to turn tables. That's not a problem at Out of the Fire, where a lounge behind the dining room lets you order from a squashy armchair and linger over a “take one, leave one” stack of books.

The farm-to-table ethos is strong here, meaning the menu rotates often and the specials are worth trying; on a recent visit, frizzled shisito peppers went down like candy and a wood-fired pizza topped with burrata and August tomato was somehow better than the sum of its parts. Save room for seasonal desserts, like a Belgian waffle topped with roasted peach ice cream.

Dig into a novelty flavor—a Fourth of July special was mascarpone ice cream laced with blueberry pie filling and raspberry compote—or keep it classic with lush, appealingly freckled vanilla bean. Either way, be sure to hoist your cinnamon waffle cone over the water for an Instagram pic. It’s the American way.

Masthead at Pier StreetFixing to eat some seafood with a view? It’s all here, from conch fritters to peel-and-eat shrimp to sandpipers perched 30 feet from your food (don’t worry, they’re shy). Eat outside your comfort zone: The seafood is fresher than Beyoncé and the generous portions are perfect for sharing.

If you can appreciate a salad that’s understated in its awesomeness, their signature—topped with fried cornbread croutons, sweet corn vinaigrette, and lump crab—is an excellent way to pay your respects to Maryland (...or Virginia.) If you time it right, you’ll be able to watch the sun set over the water and really feel like you did the thing right.